CRANN News RSSCRANN is Trinity College Dublin’s largest research Institute, delivering world-leading nanoscience and material science research, funded by Science Foundation Ireland. CRANN has Ireland’s most advanced microscopy instrumentation; extensive research engagements with industry and is committed to commercialisation of research.08bd9aa6-0ea6-4c21-83d1-1884b37d9968
American Association for the Advancement of Science awards Shane Bergin the first non-American Award recipient.
]]>Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT1235bf14-5bcc-4ff3-9e6f-dc1d574e0818Dr. Rachel Evans, Associate Investigator at CRANN, Ireland’s flagship nanoscience institute, Trinity College and Assistant Professor, School of Chemistry, Trinity College, Dublin, has been awarded The Irish Laboratory Awards’ ‘Young Leader of the Year’.
]]>Mon, 15 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT566976c8-0fb5-49aa-9046-978c9be82b15
Dr Shane Bergin, Investigator at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Physics and nanoscience institute, CRANN, has today been awarded the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) achievement award. The award recognises Dr. Bergin’s contribution to communicating science in a fun and attractive way and mentoring the next generation in science.
]]>Tue, 18 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT4f1cd6dd-c5aa-4128-8dbd-4edce7964a53
Chilean Minister of Mining, Ms Aurora Williams visits Trinity College Dublin. The purpose of this visit was to meet on site with Chilean university students and learn about the progress of various projects that could be undertaken in collaboration between the Ministry of Mines and the University.
]]>Fri, 24 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMTd9f392ba-4d64-473d-b4ea-bf8a6f150278
Research team led by Prof Jonathan Coleman discovers new research method to produce large volumes of high quality graphene.
]]>Tue, 22 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMTf4ff313e-a855-4e00-8f4d-edcc192c28c8
On March 28th, President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, received three recipients of the Science Foundation Ireland, President of Ireland Young Researcher Award (PIYRA) at Áras an Uachtaráin. Professor Valeria Nicolosi from AMBER, based in the CRANN Institute, and Trinity College Dublin’s Schools of Physics and Chemistry was presented with the prestigious accolade which acknowledges cutting-edge research in fields considered critical to Ireland’s economic and social prosperity.
]]>Mon, 31 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT0f542653-9853-40d9-a9d6-9f038ee1fba4Nano World Cancer Day 2014 is being held on the 31st January and speakers representing CRANN and AMBER will give talks about their research in the Trinity Long Room Hub on the day.
]]>Thu, 30 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT1c8e1fba-0ca6-4a04-b25b-61cd6eba2c62
The Trinity Innovation Award was last week presented to entrepreneurial graduate, Vivienne Williams. Vivienne received her Masters in Science from TCD's School of Physics, in 2002. She is now the CEO of the TCD spin out company Cellix Ltd. which was co-founded by CRANN PI, Prof. Igor Shvets.
]]>Tue, 21 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT514993ec-151f-4a52-870f-b250b34abdb9
This year's Early Career Physics Communicator Award has gone to CRANN Postdoc Jessamyn Fairfield, who helped to create the physics campaign, DART of Physics.
]]>Thu, 28 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMTa2a3c6e0-7e41-4884-9ab1-67394dec8841
AMBER Launches New NanoWOW Lesson Plans for Primary Students All Over Ireland.

Lesson Plans will introduce 5th and 6th class pupils to nanoscience.

]]>Tue, 12 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMTce81182b-9eb3-4184-86a7-23ae58a3903c
‘DART of Physics’ – an educational outreach project led by the School of Physics and the School of Education at Trinity College Dublin.

‘DART of Physics’ will run a series of 12 advertisement cards on the DART and in DART stations over the next eight weeks. These DART cards include physics statements and puzzles which will engage commuters and start a city-wide conversation around physics.

]]>Tue, 05 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMTf16df1d7-5b61-419b-8d7c-30873c6af212Advanced Materials and BioEngineering Research (AMBER) Centre positions Ireland as a global leader in the areas of materials and medical device development for industry.
]]>Thu, 24 Oct 2013 00:00:00 GMTaa72a2c2-fd4e-400b-90ca-1e59160b7192
Congratulations to all CRANN, AMBER, TCIN and CNGL students who took part in the Thesis in 3 vent on the evening of Friday 27th in the Science Gallery Café.
]]>Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT2004b511-5026-422a-b80e-4424135406d7
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced that Professor Valeria Nicolosi, based in CRANN (the nanoscience institute at Trinity College Dublin), will receive up to €150,000 funding for a one year project to bridge the gap between her pioneering 'blue sky' research and marketable innovation.
]]>Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMTfb202e00-f18d-4a92-826a-4631d4c1cfb6
Prof Valeria Nicolosi, Principal Investigator in CRANN and TCD’s Schools of Chemistry and Physics was one of 40 researchers under the age of 40 selected globally by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to present her research at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China recently. Her internationally recognised research focuses on processing and characterising nanomaterials for the development of more efficient energy storage devices.
]]>Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:00:00 GMT87ac994a-b05b-41f2-b30c-6e3c908db1c1
Researchers at CRANN, Ireland’s leading Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), have developed a new method of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The discovery will have significant impact in the worldwide race to cheaply and efficiently produce hydrogen gas, hailed as the clean energy source of the future.
]]>Mon, 15 Jul 2013 00:00:00 GMTe64e1b33-ccb0-4f68-81a9-ddfd7fc229ac
Two researchers from CRANN, the SFI-funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) have just published an invited Review in Science, one of the world’s premier science publications. To be invited to write a Review is a rare opportunity and demonstrates the esteem in which Irish nanoscience research is held internationally.
]]>Mon, 24 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT9ceedcd7-b266-4c23-8f75-b25434d76f77Professor Michael Coey, a Principal Investigator in CRANN and the School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, has been elected to the European Academy of Science (EURASC) and has also won a Humboldt Research Award.

]]>Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT8765ca39-dbc4-4c3b-a0d4-54ad9d1b6cd8
Two Irish companies – Adama Innovations Ltd., a spin-out company based at CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute in Trinity College Dublin and Crospon Ltd., a medical device manufacturer based in Galway - have been selected to take up leading roles in the €3million EU FP7 FaBiMed project.
]]>Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT8bce2697-1999-4c6b-bdf1-db78654bd585
NanoNet Ireland, the national network representing nanoscience across academia and industry, today launched Nanoweek 2013, which will take place from 14th – 21st June. Now in its fourth year, Nanoweek will celebrate the importance of nanoscience to the Irish economy; the excellence of nanoscience research within our universities, and look to grow public awareness of a technology which is fundamental to medicine, communications, pharmaceuticals, energy and transport among other industries.
]]>Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 GMT47332436-8536-4def-aa19-ab8bbac485de
“World’s smallest birthday cake”, 2,000 times smaller than a grain of salt unveiled

CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin today celebrated its 10th anniversary. Máire Geoghegan Quinn, EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, and Minister of State, Fergus O’Dowd TD addressed attendees, along with Dr. Hermann Hauser, one of the world’s leading technology entrepreneurs.

]]>Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT10747cc6-2f2a-4e00-81a3-7ee8bb9b358f
Researchers at CRANN have discovered a new concept in sensor-development. The research provides a completely new platform for the development of sensors worldwide and will lead to low-energy, remotely powered sensors that have greater detection capacity than those currently available.
]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT5bf00979-5022-4375-9bec-b58e19374c8a
Students from St. Michael’s Loreto, Navan and Killarney Community College have been awarded prizes in the CRANN ‘Design your Nano Superhero’ competition.
]]>Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT6a087a7d-5648-416a-803e-9fa8bcde51ee
A Multidisciplinary team at Trinity College Dublin from the School of Medicine and CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute, has developed a new screening approach to test the safety of nanomaterials and their effects on human cells. This research, which will have a significant impact across the many industries that utilise nanotechnology, was published in leading Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) earlier this year.
]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT651320b9-2b52-4c82-9606-6226d90d3aed
Professor John Boland, Director of CRANN, the SFI-funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin, and a Professor in the School of Chemistry has been awarded a €2.5 million research grant by the European Research Council (ERC). This is the second only Advanced ERC grant ever awarded in Physical Sciences in Ireland. The Award will see Professor Boland and his team continue world-leading research into how nanowire networks can lead to a range of smart materials, sensors and digital memory applications.
]]>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMTf858f042-9914-48d7-a407-6e756184b85b
As part of Ireland’s presidency of the European Council, Dublin will host EuroNanoForum 2013, the largest nanotechnology conference in Europe on 18-20 June in the Convention Centre Dublin. Organised by Enterprise Ireland and Spinverse ltd, the conference will focus on the impact of nanotechnology in improving people’s lives, especially in the key societal sectors of health, energy and environment. The conference concides with Nanoweek which runs from the 14-21st of June 2013.
]]>Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT2cff902b-7db3-40cc-99bd-0b5c2cb308ba
Europe’s largest nanotechnology and materials conference, EuroNanoForum 2013 is taking place this year in the Convention Centre Dublin, June 18-20. The conference, Nanotechnology Innovation: From research to commercialisation – the bridge to Horizon2020 is being organised by Enterprise Ireland and is a critically important event in the calendar of Ireland’s presidency of the European Union. See website for more information - http://www.euronanoforum2013.eu/.
]]>Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT8c208cd0-9375-4be7-84cf-65eaa4df6d66
CRANN, Ireland’s leading nanoscience institute and the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering (TCBE), both based at Trinity College have today welcomed the announcement by Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Enterprise Richard Bruton that its AMBER* centre is amongst 7 centres to receive a total of €200 million of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funding over the next five years.
]]>Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT347ba652-3c97-4e33-ae6c-39ff69f97f27
The European Commission has announced today that CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), has secured a primary role in the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Graphene Flagship project. The EU Commission has committed €1 billion to the Graphene Flagship, the largest ever research project funded in the history of the European Union.

The aim of the Graphene Flagship is to realise the commercial potential of graphene, a ‘wonder material’ that is considered the future of manufacturing. 126 academics and industry groups from 17 countries will work on 15 work packages.

]]>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT96792f45-e91c-4a66-9f96-199cbbad1453
CRANN will be at the 2013 BT Young Scientist exhibition from Thursday to Saturday as part of the Intel Ireland stand. Come and see some of our Magical Materials from the successful Science Gallery exhibition, which ran in October 2012.
]]>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT90402d43-c72c-448e-abea-4a069a4bad59Dr. Silvia Giordani, CRANN Investigator and Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, received the LEONARDO UGIS award for a young researcher/communicator on December 3rd in Milan, Italy.
]]>Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT44e39b7b-76ec-426f-8cd5-e0d2a9589287
On Tuesday evening, November 20th, Professor Valeria Nicolosi received the 2012 RDS / Intel Prize Lecture for Nanoscience in recognition of her contribution to this field. The Award recognises world leading research as well as strong commitments to communicating research to a diverse audience and this year the award was targeted at an early-career stage scientist, based in Ireland, who has been awarded their PhD degree within the last eight years. As part of the award Prof Nicolosi gave a public lecture on the subject of nanoscience, entitled ‘Exploring the Nano-flatlands: New frontiers opened by the world's thinnest materials’.
]]>Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT678b2f4d-6563-4924-b1d1-ef255a95da64
CRANN, the Government-funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin has today announced that it secured €8 million of non-Exchequer funding for nanoscience research this year, an increase of 60% over investment secured in 2011. The investment has resulted in the creation of 50 full-time research jobs. €20 million of industry funding for research has been committed over the next six years to sustain and grow the institute.
]]>Mon, 19 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMTa824311b-fac3-4053-b9a5-85daeb18e6d7Professor Michael Coey, one of Ireland’s leading scientists and a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) - funded researcher was announced Science Foundation Ireland Researcher of the Year 2012. Based in CRANN and the School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, Prof. Coey’s career in science has been marked by remarkable scientific discoveries. In addition to this, Rohit Mishra, CRANN, TCD, also won the SFI Image of the Year competition for his image titled Asteroid Belt.

]]>Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT148e516f-4d54-492f-bb31-6555e98b495e
CRANN and Science Gallery have announced our new national nanoscience competition for schools- this year we want you to design your very own nano superhero!
]]>Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT2560cdbc-6712-49e9-a605-7f0ff74081ba
On November 7th Dr. Shane Bergin (CRANN investigator) claimed first prize in the Design for Learning competition. Dr. Bergin's idea (Dart of Physics) beat off competition to bring learning outside the classroom and received €5,000 to develop his idea further.
]]>Mon, 12 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT1c494d89-04d5-4051-a0d6-dd1956c9b3b0
‘I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here!’ is a free online event where school students get to meet and interact with scientists. It’s a free X Factor-style competition between scientists, where the students are the judges.
]]>Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT6e797eb8-819d-4e05-9d25-1b4a7de852c4
A recent story in the US publication Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News (GEN) highlights the work that Prof. Hegner is conducting with Hofmann-LaRoche and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Genetics Department. GEN spoke to Prof Hegner in advance of his presentation at the Knowledge Foundation Conference on “Integrating Sample Preparation: Techniques and Applications” in Baltimore at the end of October.
]]>Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMTb068df50-bf7d-4143-87fd-736c4dec683d
CRANN brought science to life with a staged reading of a new play which starred a host of Irish acting greats, including Lorcan Cranitch, Simon Delaney, Rosaleen Linehan, Pauline McLynn, Hugh O’Conor, Marcella Plunkett and Killian Scott. The reading of "Ear to the Edge of Time" by Australian playwright Alana Valentine was very well received on Sunday 21st October in the Samuel Beckett Theatre, TCD.
]]>Tue, 23 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMTeb7f195d-436a-4e24-93c3-45ac2e55e120
Ear to the Edge of Time, winner of the prestigious STAGE International Script Competition for the best new play about science and technology, will receive a special staged reading at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin this Sunday, October 21st, at 4:00 p.m. The cast features some of Ireland’s hottest actors: Lorcan Cranitch, Simon Delaney, Rosaleen Linehan, Pauline McLynn, Hugh O’Conor, Marcella Plunkett and Killian Scott.
]]>Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMTd4ed8eee-62f7-4e16-88b9-307e9abd5561
Stem cell scientists have capitalised on the electrical properties of a widely used nanomaterial to develop cells which may allow the regeneration of cardiac cells.
]]>Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT5aa45e5c-eee4-446c-940d-33c2af991b72
CRANN nanoscientists in project with world-leading brewer SABMiller to develop new plastic beer bottle.
]]>Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMTf33abe31-2d70-4d20-b911-884aaead2c86
Professor Valeria Nicolosi, ERC Research Professor at the School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin and Principal Investigator at CRANN, TCD, has been awarded the 2012 RDS / Intel Prize Lecture for Nanoscience in recognition of her contribution to the field of Nanoscience.
]]>Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMTb96a852e-82fe-4d1a-807a-0056fc87345c
The Nanoweek Conference 2012 today began at the Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin. Nanoweek 2012 runs until 21st September.
]]>Mon, 17 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT3bd24906-2d68-460a-90db-313d362b41b0
CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute based at Trinity College Dublin, today celebrated the launch of Nanoweek 2012 with the opening of a new exhibition jointly developed with Science Gallery.
]]>Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT2ce10a14-3528-4bfa-a02d-6eabe10f408d
Thanks to all who entered this year's competition. The standard was very high and the following are the top four.
]]>Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMTa35d7573-9d32-4148-b3ff-941c2a312ef2
Australian playwright, Alana Valentine, as been announced as the winner of STAGE for her play "Ear to the Edge of Time" as the best new play about science and technology. The play was chosen by a panel of six Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winners. Ms Valentine will be given her award at a staged reading of the play on the 21st of October at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, in Trinity College Dublin.
]]>Fri, 10 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT21dfb052-f4f5-4e5b-831b-e292d21e32f1
The stage is set for the Olympics but in this adventure we uncover the plight of the NanOlympians, graphene and carbon nanotubes, who are fighting to be more involved in the Olympic Games.

]]>Fri, 27 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMT8feed53a-8022-4bd7-b46e-a42a5660d57c
Prof Jonathan Coleman and Post Graduate Arlene O'Neill are interviewed about the work that is being carried out in CRANN on developing innovative methods for the production of new materials that could be used to strengthen everyday plastics.

]]>Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMTc1a3a27c-8796-45a1-b777-ac54704bc47d
ESOF 2012 was held in Dublin’s convention centre from the 11th – 15th of July. It is Europe’s largest, general science meeting and is held in a leading Europe city every two years.
]]>Mon, 16 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMTb25b7d04-e792-45d2-a7ea-75fcd165e927
An eminent female Investigator, at the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute CRANN, Dr. Silvia Giordani, has been awarded the 2012 L’Oréal-UNESCO UK & Ireland for Women in Science Fellowship. The award was made at the Royal Society London, late last week.
]]>Mon, 09 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMTc43bb2ff-5432-458c-95b0-d7839b841032
As one of the main City of Science 2012 events, Dublin will host a special performance of the winning play of the STAGE International Script Competition for the best new play about science and technology.

A world class panel of judges including Pulitzer, Tony and Emmy award winners and Nobel Laureate scientists will select the best play from a shortlist of three scripts. The winner will be announced in July. A few months later, in October, the winning playwright will be awarded a $10,000 cash prize and their play will have a staged reading with professional Irish actors at the Samuel Beckett Theatre at Trinity College Dublin.

]]>Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:00:00 GMTc5717809-5efb-4aa9-935c-322307809a54
CRANN Investigator and UCC Professor, Professor Mick Morris, assisted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Intel's Researchers in Residence based in CRANN, have conducted research to develop materials that could in time revolutionise the manufacture of silicon chips and lead to a new wave of next generation computers and real time 3D video processing. The research was published in Nanoscale*, which publishes content from leading international research groups.
]]>Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT73f727a6-291e-4787-af37-a7fefc0d6efe
CRANN today announced the addition of three new Board members, from the Irish and European business communities. Gina Quin, Chief Executive of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Julie O’Neill, President IBEC and GM of Gilead Sciences and Ludo Deferm, Executive VP and Head of Business Development of imec, Belgium-based nanoscience institute, have all joined the CRANN board.
]]>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMTda9c1b23-e2d7-4277-8078-0f39e68512c2
CRANN has announced a new collaborative research partnership worth €750,000 with Thomas Swan & Co Ltd. The collaboration will focus on the industrial scale-up of graphene production. Graphene is the wonder material of modern science and was the focus of the Nobel Prize in 2010. It has unique properties and is both the strongest and most conductive material known to man.
]]>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMTd990572c-d1ac-4f84-853f-c4734bc2d93f
A public symposium to celebrate the extraordinary vision and inventive genius of Irishman Edward Hutchinson Synge (1890-1957), familiarly known as Hutchie, is being held in Trinity College Dublin on Thursday 19th April. He is accredited with the invention of the near-field optical microscope to look at what we now term nanoscience and a new type of telescope to bring a deeper understanding to astronomy.
]]>Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT1dd1962e-f371-4be8-a5c1-ac69f6151556
Researchers at CRANN, the Science Foundation Ireland funded nanoscience institute based in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), have discovered a new material that could transform the quality, lifespan and efficiency of flat screen computers, televisions and other devices. The research team was led by Prof Igor Shvets, a CRANN Principal Investigator who has successfully launched and sold two spin out companies from TCD and who is involved in the Spirit of Ireland energy project. A patent application protecting the new material was filed by TCD.
]]>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT7cc40979-ad92-4c09-9526-a921b4ec9204
CRANN has been invited to join the European Infrastructure on Micro and Nano Fabrication - (EUMINAfab). The consortium is a FP7- funded gateway to a vast array of state-of-the-art multimaterial micro and nanotechnologies. The project has been running for 2 years, but they have expanded the partnership to include CRANN’s specialised Nanotechnology facilities.
]]>Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMTf6768827-44d6-4cd0-88c7-d278e33d19fc
A visual art exhibition of portraits that reflect the diversity of Italian identity in contemporary Ireland opened last week at Dublin’s Italian Institute of Culture. Inspired by the 150th anniversary of the Unity of Italy, the exhibition presents an insight into the broad range of Italian professionals who live and work in today’s Ireland, including CRANN's Deputy Director, Prof Stefano Sanvito.
]]>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT06b44015-58d8-4ab9-98a0-42fc3202b4b7
CRANN announced today that it is bringing the STAGE International Script Competition to Ireland as part of Dublin City of Science 2012.

The STAGE International Script Competition is a unique collaboration between art and science that awards a prize of $10,000 for the best new play about science and technology. STAGE – Scientists, Technologists and Artists Generating Exploration – began as an alliance between the Professional Artists Lab, a dynamic artistic laboratory, and the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Through CRANN’s relationship with CNSI, Dublin has beaten off stiff international competition to bring STAGE to Ireland.